Do You Remember (Love & the Promises We Exchanged)
by the-effin-mitchell
Summary: After Kara wakes up from a near fatal battle with no recollection of life on Earth, Kal-El sees this as his chance to make up for neglecting her as a child, but Alex refuses to let her sister leave with the man that left her on their doorstep. Neither is willing to back down until an unexpected compromise comes in the form of Lena Luthor, who proves Kara best belongs with her.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I completely forgot that I have a FFN account, and have only been posting on AO3 as of late. But, I know there are some readers still here, so I've decided to post my stories on both sites. This is canon-divergent, and takes place roughly six months after the fiasco with the Medusa virus (episode 2x08). Obviously SuperCorp (or Karlena, if you prefer) with a side of Sanvers. Hope you like it!**

* * *

Black clouds hang low, swollen in pain and saturated with grief over National City's skyline. Smoke billows upwards, thick and heavy as if in offering to the heavens - a plea to whatever god or deity that what the world had just witnessed was only but a sad, cruel dream. Intermingled with the ashes that still swirl is the rain, blanketing the city in wet, charred "snow" that leaves the once bright landscape darker, flatter - _deader_ \- than it had ever been before. The hush that prevails is almost deafening in its silence, broken only by the collective shattering of an entire population's hearts.

The Earth's mightiest hero crawls along the pavement, his suit tattered and broken, cape shredded beyond repair. His left eye is swollen shut, his right barely better, but what little he can see is focused entirely on the still smoking body that's crash landed not more than a dozen or so yards from his own matching crater. He pulls himself along, one hand in front of the other, digging his fingers into asphalt and concrete in his haste and desperation.

"Kara…" he groans, voice raw and throaty. "K-Kara…!"

Superman drags his body the remaining few feet and collapses beside his cousin, fingers pressed to her neck as he frantically searches for a pulse. He nearly chokes on a sob when he finds nothing, trembling as he sits up and cradles her in his arms, clutching Kara to his chest as he cries into her hair.

"Kara… Kara…" he pleads, rocking her gently - tenderly, in the same manner with which she'd once held him as a baby. "P-please, no… wake up… you can't…"

Citizens watch on, suspended in their own disbelief as the Man of Steel begs for Supergirl to return, his English quickly giving way to broken Kryptonese - as if their native tongue would somehow be enough to bring her back. It seems an eternity later that several government issued SUV's race onto the scene, and it nearly takes a Kryptonite-powered tranquilizer to subdue Superman, who almost seems to turn feral at the thought of anyone taking his cousin from him. It's only when Alex arrives, her own eyes puffy with unshed tears, that Clark relieves himself of Kara's body. Though he is blood, Alex has more claim to her adopted sister than he ever will; after all, he'd given up that right the day he left her on the Danvers' doorstep - a little girl scared and confused, but most importantly, alone.

"I-I'm sorry…" he whispers, as Alex sweeps a hand through the blonde's disheveled hair, affectionately tucking a stray curl behind her ear. She looks peaceful - _at rest_ \- and if it weren't for the blood caked to every inch of her skin, she could almost be mistaken for asleep. "I didn't know she was i-in this much trouble… I didn't… I mean, I-I came as quickly as I heard, but I didn't… I wasn't fast enough…"

Alex silences him with a watery glance before bowing her head, resting her forehead against Kara's as she cups her cheeks. Her eyes shut, and she takes a moment to let it all sink in; let's her brain catch up with what her eyes are telling her.

"You lied," she murmurs, voice quivering through her tears. "You lied… you said you'd always be there, that it'd always be you and me, but now you're gone, a-and I can't f-follow you… and you _lied_."

"Dammit, Kara!" Alex cries, hands sliding down to grab the fabric of her suit, fists clenched in anguish around the symbol that had once given a city hope, but was now only a cruel reminder of what that hope had cost. "I told you to wait for backup! I told you to wait for J'onn! For Mon-el! For James! For your cousin! For anyone! But you didn't listen… you never do!"

"How could you be so selfish!" she nearly screams, pounding a fist against Kara's chest. "How could you be so stupid… so reckless… s-so _you_ …"

Her mind flashes back to the battle, Kara valiantly defending the city against the combined efforts of Cyborg Superman and Metallo, who in the wake of Lillian Luthor's incarceration, had teamed up with the single intention of bringing Supergirl down. She had fought them off to the best of her ability, even gaining the upper hand once or twice before the shielding device in her suit malfunctioned, taking one too many hits and opening her up to the crippling effects of Kryptonite.

Clark arrived just in time, taking the brunt of an attack meant to end her life. James, as Guardian, roared onto the scene with Mon-El steps behind, taking Metallo together so Superman could fight his Cyborg counterpart. Things seemed to be going well after that, and they had been certain they were headed towards victory when things took a sharp turn for the worst. Realizing they wouldn't win, Metallo dispatched his opponents and latched himself around the unsuspecting Superman's back, detonating his Kryptonite core in a last ditch effort to bring the heroes down.

 _It was all or nothing._

Clark only had moments to spare when a newly recovered Kara ripped the man from his clutches and raced towards the safety of the sky. Realizing her intentions, he sped after her, begging her not to do it; but time was not on their side, and she had only just reached the first layer of clouds when Metallo detonated in an explosion of blinding green light. Kara was swallowed by the blast, Clark taking on the subsequent shock wave, and it wasn't long before both Supers fell, plummeting to the earth like twin meteorites.

(Days, weeks, months later, it would be infamously known as the crash that was heard around the world…)

Alex is torn from the memory when something catches her attention, subtle and barely there, but _there_ all the same. Clark seems to feel it as well, his enhanced senses picking up more clearly what she can only hope is real. _A heartbeat._ He nods, and a moment later, they're calling for a gurney and loading Kara into the back of an ambulance, retrofitted by the DEO to handle both human and alien patients. They don't have much time; Kara's heart, by some miracle, has restarted. But for how long? It was anyone's guess.

Sunlamps are turned on to full power, forcing Alex to sit in the front with the paramedics unless she wished to receive first to second degree burns. Clark sits in the crash seat, clasping Kara's hand the entire ride back to HQ, his own wounds slowly healing as bruises fade and flesh gradually knits itself back together. His ears are trained intently on her heartbeat, once weak and fragile - a mere stutter really - but growing stronger and stronger still. Color returns to her skin, and though she remains frighteningly pale, it's nothing like the deathly white she had been not too long ago.

By the time they arrive back at the DEO, a full team of doctors and medical staff are standing at the ready, awaiting the opportunity to save their hero as she had done so many times for them. The instant Kara is handed into their care, they make a beeline for triage and set about assessing her condition, taking vitals and blood samples and other necessary tests.

Clark and Alex make to follow, neither willing to let their family out of sight, but Superman is immediately herded into an exam room for his own treatment and Alex is told to wait outside. She nearly throws a fit at that, but J'onn threatens to have her sedated if she doesn't comply.

"I need to be with her!" she shouts, attempting to push past the Martian, only to be caught by the hands and held still. "You can't keep me from her! That's my sister in there! _My baby sister_! I have rights, you know!"

"Stand down, Agent Danvers," J'onn commands, voice gruff despite the gleam of sorrow in his own eyes. "You can't do anything for her in there. Not like this."

"B-but she _needs_ me," Alex croaks, giving a half-hearted tug as the emotional exhaustion quickly catches up to her.

"What Kara needs is for you to be strong," he says, releasing Alex as her arms go lax, dropping like dead weight at her sides. "What she needs is for you to believe - for _all_ of us to believe - that she'll make it out of this okay, just as she would do for any of us."

"I can't lose her…" she whispers, fighting back tears as J'onn gathers her into his arms and holds her. She presses her face against his neck, murmuring between half restraint sobs, "I can't… I can't go through this again. Not with Kara. I can't. I just can't…."

J'onn shushes her gently, leading her in the direction of the barracks where there were beds and showers; a quiet place to rest, unwind, and collect herself. Alex protests at first, insisting she stay nearby in case anything happens, but he assures her it will take time for the doctors to work on Kara, and that he'll send for her the instant they get word on her condition.

"I'm sure your mother has already seen the news, but I'll give her a call," he says, knowing the Danvers matriarch was most likely already on her way.

"If it's not too much trouble," Alex begins meekly, eyes averted, "Could you call Maggie too? I… I just need…"

"Of course," he nods, knowing Alex isn't one to admit aloud when she needs help. "Get yourself cleaned up, and take as much time alone as you need. I'll send Detective Sawyer in when she arrives."

"Thanks…"

J'onn offers a small, but reassuring smile before turning to leave. "Hang in there," he says in way of parting, but Alex dangles precariously over the edge of something she can't quite define, and she isn't sure how much longer she can hold on.

* * *

"How're you holding up?"

Clark barely registers the question, focused entirely on the wall adjacent to him. Azure eyes narrow intently, as if willing himself the ability to see through lead, and it isn't until James steps directly in front of him that he declares the endeavor futile. With a shrug that beguiles his worry, the Kryptonian simply sighs and shakes his head.

"Is she…?" he begins tentatively, having only recently arrived.

"No, she's alive, but… but it's not looking good," Clark admits, ducking his head with shame. "This is my fault. I should have been there sooner…"

"Hey man, don't beat yourself up about this," says James, though his heart echoes with similar sentiments. He and Kara had only just reconciled their friendship, and he wonders if only they'd worked things out sooner, she might have been more willing to wait for his aid. (He knows that isn't true, knows that Kara is never one to sit idly by when the city is in danger, but it's the only comfort he can allow himself - a share in the blame to ease his guilt.)

"No!" Clark bellows, hands clenched. "Kara needed me, and I wasn't there! I… I was _never_ there for her - not today, and not when she was a kid! _Every_ _time_ she's needed me the most, I've let her down! Again, and again, and again…"

"She was just _so small_ , and so scared…" he breathes, relaxing his grip as he thinks back on that fateful day when Kara fell from the sky and crash landed into his life. "I only ever wanted to protect her, but all I ended up doing was pushing her away… _abandoning her_ because I didn't know how to handle a child. I was fresh out of college, practically working for free with all the unpaid overtime at my first job, and still learning the ropes of being a hero.

"Kara was sent to Earth with me as a baby, and she was willing to take care of me despite having so much less than that. She swore to raise me, to protect me, to _love_ me despite having little knowledge of Earth and its customs, let alone any of its languages. And what did I do to repay that sort of loyalty? I dumped her on the Danvers' doorstep the first chance I got and barely saw her until she came out as Supergirl…"

James' face softens into something akin to sympathy, and he lays a hand on Clark's shoulder in support. "Look, your roles were reversed when Kara arrived decades later than she was supposed to, and… and yeah, okay, you weren't exactly "Cousin of the Year" material, but I think things turned out for the best. She adores Alex as a sister, and though Jeremiah and Eliza can never replace her birth parents, they provided the stable home life you honestly never could."

Clark casts an offended glance in his direction, as if to say, " _I could have given her that!"_ But James merely raises a brow and his friend relents, both knowing he could never have given Kara half of what the Danvers had.

"You made a mistake," James continues, "And that's okay. No one is perfect - _not_ _even_ _Superman_. You can't change the past, but you can do better. You can be there for her, starting now, when she needs you now more than ever."

Clark can only nod in response, burying his head in his hands to hide the pain of his failure. He swears he'll do better, swears he'll make up for all he's done wrong, but as his ears pick up the screaming of a flatline in the next room over, he wonders if he'll even get the chance.

* * *

 **Reviews are always appreciated!**

 **Find me on tumblr: the-effin-mitchell**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: You get two chapters at once, since that's as far as I've gotten. I'm not the quickest update (if you follow my Bechloe fics, you know this is painfully true), but I do hope to write as often as I can. This chapter deals briefly with Lena's reaction to the incident, and then leads into a flashback of the morning after the Medusa incident (before Kara leaves to Earth-1 with Barry); essentially the catalyst for their relationship, which will continue to be filled in along the way. Once again, I hope you like it!**

* * *

 _Kara is dead._

The realization doesn't hit Lena so much as it rolls over her, slow and painful, like the trudging of an old war tank; ten thousand pounds of sorrow and despair weighing down on her, crushing her into something small and insignificant. The grief comes in short but frequent waves, threatening to drown her whole as her legs buckle and Lena falls, knees sinking to the floor as the very earth seems to shift beneath her feet.

Her hand searches blindly, looking for her table or a chair - something to clasp onto and support her. But she finds nothing, collapsing onto the carpet in a crumpled heap, watery eyes still fixated on the image of Supergirl's lifeless body, limp and unmoving as Superman roars his anguish to the world. No one dares move, giving the fallen hero and her grieving cousin a wide berth as they all watch on, stunned into silence and paralyzed with disbelief.

She doesn't know she's crying until a tear stricken Jess appears at her door, a knowing look in her eye as she staggers forward, gently kneeling beside the CEO and whispering a broken apology. A delicate hand clamps itself over shaking lips, stifling a sob as Lena first attempts to hide her pain, only to be broken down entirely as her walls fall and her defenses crumble, washed away by the tide of unrelenting tears.

Lena is the picture of grief, loss, and devastation; her face that of one who had already suffered too much, and who was not sure if she could do it again. In the end, it's simply too much for her to handle, this hand that Fate has dealt her; she feels gravity pulling her down - _down, down, down…_ \- her vision blurs, the world goes dark, and soon she knows no more.

 _Oblivion._

* * *

"Kara, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

The words are automatic; robotic and instinctive, yet somehow, still genuine. Lena seems to function on autopilot, and yet she still finds a way to show sincere affection in the face of her favorite reporter and only friend. Barely twelve hours have come and gone since the arrest of her mother, and she's been up since dawn - after a mere four hours of fitful sleep - attempting to make some sense of the mess that her life had become.

"I'm sorry to barge in like this unannounced," she begins, an apologetic grin settling across her features. "It seems that it's becoming a bad habit of mine."

"And one I'm not particularly inclined to break you of," Lena assures, lips curling with a smile. "As I've said before, and as I'll continue to say again, you are always welcome at my door."

Kara beams, the grin on her face breaking out into a mega watt smile as she laughs shyly, touching her glasses in what Lena is sure to be her signature quirk. Dropping her hand, the blonde fidgets anxiously with the hem of her shirt, clutching the light blue fabric in a nervous manner as she tilts her head towards the couch and asks, "Can we sit?"

"Yes, please," Lena replies, gesturing to the piece of furniture that she had affectionately sanctioned as _their_ spot. "Is everything alright? You seem on edge."

"I should be the one asking you that," says Kara, letting the CEO settle into the plush cushions before taking her own seat, back rigid and posture uneasy. "After everything that happened last night…"

"So you've heard," Lena interjects, a mirthless chuckle escaping her lips. "Of course, I'm not surprised. It's the talk of the town, and there's no doubt that CatCo wants to be dead center in the heat of gossip. Are you looking for a quote? I have some time for an interview before my next meeting."

"No," Kara insists, shaking her head. "No, no, no. I'm not here for work. I'm here for _you_ , as your friend. In fact, I came here because there's something I need to tell you… o-or, several things, actually… but I came for you, and you alone."

Lena shifts curiously, turning so she's almost sitting horizontally on the couch, facing Kara with nothing but her full attention. "I can assure you that no matter what it is that you have to say, you can trust me," she says, reaching forward to place a reassuring hand atop her knee.

"I know," Kara affirms, laying her hand on Lena's and giving it a squeeze. "I know that I can trust you, and I do. And what I'm about to tell you… i-it's game changing, I suppose. And it's not that I didn't trust you before, because you have done nothing but prove yourself to be worthy of it. It's… it's just that, um…"

She pauses to find her words, licking her suddenly too chapped lips as she struggles to form something even remotely coherent. Lena, thankfully, remains patient, encouraging her with a gentle smile and another squeeze of the hand.

"Okay, let me… let me start over," she says, exhaling loudly. "Lena, I'm not who you think I am. Or, at least, who I am and who you've come to know aren't entirely the same person. That's not to say that who I am when I'm with you is fake or made up… just that I have another side of me that I've not shown you yet. A side of me that often changes how people perceive me…

"See, the thing is, ever since I was young, I've been told to keep this part of me hidden, a secret never to be shared and a promise not to be broken. I've only ever broken it a small handful of times, and I'm breaking it again for you - because I care about you, and because you _deserve_ to know the real me."

She takes a steadying breath, ready to reveal the truth. "Lena, I'm-..."

"I know."

"-suuu… wait, what? What?" she asks, bewilderedly. "You… y-you already _know?"_

Lena laughs, rolling her eyes in playful exasperation as she replies, "It really isn't that hard to figure out. And honestly, it doesn't change how I see you at all, and it never will. I realize why you felt the need to hide this. Some people aren't so understanding of those they deem different, but I appreciate you coming out to me like this. Frankly, I'm honored you hold our friendship in high enough regard to sit down with me and have a proper conversation about it."

"I, uh… well, yes. Of course, I value your friendship and… um…" Kara scratches her neck nervously. "You're… taking this surprisingly well…"

Emerald green meets ocean blue, Lena's eyes transfixed on Kara's as she takes her hand and clasps them between her own, leaning into the blonde as she states firmly, "No matter what anyone tells you, it is _okay_ to be gay."

Her jaw drops, mind screeching to a halt. _'What!?'_ is the only thought her brain can properly form.

(Lena seems pleased; Kara thinks she might cry.)

Yanking her arm back, the Kryptonian buries her face between her hands and groans. "Rao! Not this again!"

Lena is taken aback, perplexed and confused by the unexpected outburst. "I'm… I'm sorry," she apologizes, though not entirely sure what for.

"Why is that _everyone's_ first assumption?" Kara cries, flopping backwards in dramatic flair. "I'm not gay! I'm Supergirl, okay? Supergirl!"

This time it's Lena's jaw that drops, an impromptu impersonation of a fish out of water as she slowly puts two and two together. Kara can see the exact moment it hits her, dawning across her face in slow realization, eyes widening as they're finally opened to the truth. Tentatively, she reaches for the collar of Kara's shirt, eyes flickering upwards in search of permission. The blonde gives a curt nod, and slowly - as though delaying what she already knows to be true - Lena's fingers pluck at the buttons, carefully undoing each one by one.

"Oh god. It's really _you_ ," she breathes, as the first hint of blue and red appear. "You're really _her_ ," she gasps, as the familiar crest presents itself soon after, a proud symbol of the House of El.

"I am," she murmurs, watching intently as Lena delicately traces the outline of her family's emblem, trailing along the curve of the 'S' before coming to a stop directly above her heart. Though she doesn't speak, there is comfort in her silence, and Kara allows Lena all the time she needs to process this revelation.

"How did I not see it?" she asks, more to herself than Kara.

"I wanted to tell you sooner," the blonde insists, placing her hand above Lena's and holding it to her chest. "I wanted to tell you almost as soon as I met you, which is _ridiculous_ now that I actually think about it, but… but somehow I just _knew_ that one day you would be someone important to me…"

"And am I?" asks Lena, glancing upwards. "Important to you…?"

"Very," says Kara, and though it's but one word, it carries with it the implications of a thousand more.

Lena is quick to avert her gaze, head turning to the side, but the sudden flush of her cheeks is more than enough to give her thoughts away. Kara's mouth twitches upwards and an unexpected rush of warmth rushes through her at the sight; there's just something about the way she smiles that sends Lena's heart fluttering with joy and relief, like the aching of weary bones that have finally found their home.

She moves to say something in return when their conversation is abruptly interrupted, halted by the harsh buzzing of her intercom. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Miss Luthor," comes Jess's voice, "but you have legal waiting for you on line three."

"I'm… I'm sorry," says Lena, retracting her hand as she makes her way back to the desk. "I'll just be one moment."

"No, it's okay," Kara assures, as she too stands. "I don't want to take up anymore of your time. I understand that this is a very busy morning for you, and I don't want to get in the way of that. I didn't realize I'd been here so long, but I-I'm leaving town and I just wanted to… um, to y'know… I wanted to say goodbye…"

Lena, who's in the middle of telling Jess to put them on hold, immediately withdraws her statement and orders for them to call back at a later time. "I don't understand," she says, setting down the receiver. An anxious knot forms in her gut, coiling with dread as her mind jumps from one conclusion to the next. "What do you mean goodbye...?"

"I probably should have better thought this through before I came here," Kara laughs, though she sounds anything but amused. "I know that it's a lot to pile onto you all at once - especially with everything you have going on right now - but something came up with a friend and I need to leave town for awhile, and I'm not sure how long I'll be gone or when I'll get back. It's all very last minute, but I didn't want to go without first telling you who I am - who I _really_ am - and without thanking you for everything you did to help bring down your mother.

"Last night, you were a true hero, and what you did took a special type of courage - something even I would struggle to find within myself to do. You and Lillian may have had your differences, but she is still the woman that raised you, and I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to go against her in such a way. The entire alien population of National City is indebted to you, as am I. You not only corrected the wrongdoings of your mother, but of my own father as well."

"Your father?" Lena asks, brows cinched with confusion. It was hard for her to imagine that anyone related to Kara - _Supergirl, of all people_ \- could be anything but pure and good.

Kara nods solemnly. "My father, Zor-El, was the original creator of the Medusa virus," she explains, "and had formulated it in a joint effort with Krypton's military to keep our planet safe from outside invaders. He had nothing but the best intentions of our people in mind, but something so powerful and so potent should have _never_ been made in the first place. It was _not_ his place to play god like that, and though it was only ever meant to be used as a last resort, you saw _exactly_ what that kind of power can do if put in the wrong hands."

"The wrong hands being that of my mother's," Lena adds, ruefully.

"Just one example of many," Kara asserts, taking a step towards her. "But you are not your mother, and I am not my father, and we can both learn from their mistakes so that something like this never has to happen again."

Lena cracks a grin. "I said it before, and I'll say it again… a Super and a Luthor, who would have ever thought?"

"You know… it doesn't have to be that way," the blonde suggests, smiling shyly. "We don't _have_ to be a 'Super and a Luthor'. We can just be ourselves, Kara and Lena, working together to make the world a better place. We aren't simply byproducts of our family name; we're our own, individual people, walking our own paths in life. And I choose, if you'd allow me to, to walk with you as a friend and ally… and… as _whatever else_ the road may choose to make of us anywhere down the line."

Lena's breath catches, a quiet hitch in her throat that is soon released in a breathy sigh. "I'd like nothing more," she murmurs, and Kara's expression turns soft, almost tender.

In two long strides, she crosses the distance between them, sweeping the younger woman into a tight embrace. The hug itself is a simple gesture - affectionate, hinted perhaps with the tentative beginnings of something more - and the arms that hold her are gentle, but firm with hidden power. Lena has been hugged before, but never like this; she feels her body sag for the first time in what feels like years, as though it instinctively knows that Kara will never let her fall. And she doesn't. Kara's arms engulf her, holding her up - embracing her with all the respect of an equal; and yet they cradle her, as though she is someone to be cherished.

Lena returns the hug with matching fervor, allowing herself this brief indulgence, reveling in the strength and warmth that seems to radiate off of Kara in waves. She's surprised at how right it all feels, and thinks she might stay like this forever if given the chance; unfortunately, as all good things are wont to do, it comes to an end when Kara's phone vibrates, alerting her to an incoming call.

"Sorry!" she breathes, pulling away to silence the device. "That must be my friend, wondering where I'm at. I said I'd only be a short while, and we're sort of on a time constraint…"

"No, I understand," says Lena, straightening out her skirt. "Please, don't let me take any more of your time."

Kara hurries to button her shirt, smoothing out the creases so it's less obvious she's wearing something underneath. "I don't know when I'll be back," she begins, chin dropping as she shuffles her feet, "but… um, maybe we can pick this conversation back up when I do?"

Lena nods, offering a smile Kara knows is strictly reserved for her, and takes the Kryptonian's hand, quelling whatever worries or reservations she may have had about the future of their friendship. Tugging her close for a parting hug, she speaks into her ear with gentle resolution, "We can start _exactly_ where we left off."

* * *

 **Reviews are always appreciated!**

 **Find me on tumblr: the-effin-mitchell**


End file.
